Friday, December 21, 2012

Your mission: Witness the birth of an iconic timepiece and an unforgettable piece of time

AQUADIVE is proud to be the only watch company in the world today to offer an updated NOS version of their vintage iconic timepieces. The soon to be released AQUADIVE NOS Model 77 (December 2012), is based on the iconic 70s design model, the 1977 AQUADIVE MARITIME.

The NOS Model 77 is a classic beauty, housed in a genuine NOS vintage case with a unique 70s Swiss design. only a limited quantity of these cases are still available in our inventory. The NOS Model 77 case is all original with beautiful sunburst S/S finishing and extremely durable PVD coating on the lower part of the case, In the 1970's, AQUADIVE would be one of very few companies who applied a layer of copper alloy to the case to make the PVD coating extremely durable. The original unidirectional rotating bezel has a black aluminum insert and operates on a very precise and solid 60 click mechanism. The model 77 case measures 40mm wide - excluding crown - and 46mm long, and has 22mm lugs. The NOS Model 77 is supplied on a specially designed NATO or rubber dive strap. The case, bezel, and case back and AS automatic movement are vintage genuine NOS parts originally manufactured in the mid 1970's in Switzerland. The crystal, gaskets, galvanized dial, hands, and ETA movements are all new Swiss made parts. The new 5mm thick crystal and gasket insure much higher depth rating than the original. So the NOS Model 77 case is now depth rated beyond 200m/660ft.

The modern black dial is a two piece galvanized and all SWISS made construction. The hands are a 100% reproduction of the original hands found in the vintage automatic version. The NOS self-winding 21 jewels Anton Schild movements are regulated to 20 seconds a day, due to age and features of this particular movement. They have all been disassembled, oiled, cleaned and serviced by our master watchmaker. They are the movements that were originally used in this case back in the mid to late 1970's. The vintage date wheels in the Anton Schild movement are white with red digits. Back in the 1970's, it was a common feature for date wheels in terms of legibility. So to stay true to the vintage heritage of this model, AQUADIVE did not switch the date wheels over to modern black versions on these vintage movements. With the modern ETA 2836 Elabore movements, the date wheel is black.More...

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Today is a sad day, Chrissie Wellington retires. It would have been nice to see her come out this year and win another, she went out in amazing fashion. I guess when they finish strong and never look back, she has.

The woman who shocked the triathlon world with her victory as a rookie at Kona in 2007 and subsequently bestrode the world of Ironman racing like a colossus announced her retirement at age 35 from professional Ironman racing today.

Four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington, who shattered all women’s Ironman-distance records in a late-blooming, meteoric five year career and who remained undefeated in 13 races at the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run distance, wrote in her blog that she would cease her stellar career as a long distance triathlete.

After taking a one-year sabbatical from the sport to promote her book “A Life Without Limits” and do charity work and public speaking, Wellington explained how she came to her decision in a statement:

“Over the past 12 months I have had time to reflect and think, about my past and, of course, also of my future.

Friday, November 16, 2012

CrossFit the name that has redefined fitness, for good or bad, it is now a household name, very similar to "you drive like Mario Andretti". Amazing 10 years and millions of dollars later you have one of the biggest shifts in the industry happening. So just like a gym, CrossFit founder makes money, lots of money.

"CrossFit affiliates pay a $3,000 annual licensing fee, and their trainers must successfully complete CrossFit’s $1,000 level one course to get certified.

Greg Glassman says 5,000 CrossFit studios are in operation around the world with 400 more in the pipeline."

So that is a total of $15,000,000 million a year in fees annually, at least $5000 million from level one courses, amazing and Greg Glassman owns it all. You wonder why everyone is trying to capitalize on the success, well the dollars show you why. Billions of dollars are stake in the fitness world, So when looking at programs and how to succeed CrossFit has laid the ground work, many should adapt this practice.

30 Day Guarantee - Test your wetsuit and if it doesn't fit within 30 days, send it back to us and we'll exchange it for a different size or a refund.

Exceptional Service - Our customer service team is second to none. We work with triathletes and swimmers of all skill levels to find the perfect wetsuit. Any questions? Just call us (858.565.9500) or write us (info@xterrawetsuits.com)

Friday, September 21, 2012

It is always great to see other companies put trucks through their paces, real world stuff. What would be nice is how "real" people use their truck. Hauling people, cargo and tow. Bikes, racks, rocks, what happens over time, do they stand up. Pushing, pulling, snow and stumps, rocks and tree.

Now we all know that the pickup has evolved, not really doing pickup duties anymore, more guys who want to think they are doing something manly, but have a yard service and snow removal. Also the price has jumped from the 20k to roughly over 50 if you want to haul a family of 4.

So what car would win, in real world test. I know around me 4wheeling is a past time, maybe getting a good snow and using the system but for the most part most trucks have turned into a guys version of the mini van.

Connectivity with the Contour line mostly happens courtesy of the same old Storyteller software, which remains little changed from before -- that is to say, it's kind of clunky and sluggish. But it's thankfully been granted some additional functionality that makes it rather more usable, especially on the sharing side.

Before, if you wanted to share your Contour footage and include the GPS metadata -- map, altitude, speed and such -- you had to use a proprietary embed. You couldn't bake it right into the video itself. That changes with the +2. The new version of the software will let you add an overlay to the video showing the map, altitude and speed -- or, if you'd like to hide any of those figures, you can. You can choose which corner of the video contains the overlay and then push it straight to YouTube, if you like. You can also get a GPX export of the coordinates recorded by the camera, which can then be fed straight into any of a number of tracking applications, like Strava or Endomondo.

The mobile apps have also been updated. Well, the iOS app has been updated -- the Android version will get a fix soon, we're told. With the iOS app you can still use it as a remote viewfinder, connecting over Bluetooth and getting a live stream of the footage to help you get the camera perfectly aligned. Now, though, you can start and stop the footage remotely. So, if you've mounted the camera somewhere out of reach, like the roof of your car, you can start or stop it without having to release your racing harness. (Or, you could just ask a member of your pit crew to do it for you.)

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Today Newton is very excited to be launching our School of Running (SOR) here in Boulder, Colorado. The mission of the SOR is to spread the knowledge of good, natural running form around the world by educating those who are interested in teaching others to become better runners and who wish to become better and more efficient runners themselves.

The first session of SOR which began today is educating a handful of North American retail ambassadors. Soon the School of Running will expand to include Newton’s recently revamped Coach Certification Program. Details of that program will be coming soon but for now the dates of the first sessions are below.

Friday, June 8, 2012

OH SHIFT!
Don't get caught off the rear of the pack, this bike will spare no one.
Quintana Roo’s approach to using their Shift technology across a line of bikes including this version of the CD 0.1 makes the technology available at a variety of prices with different component specs. At $5199.95 with race wheels this is a strong way to buy into superbike technology from the company that invented the triathlon bike.University Tri Sports

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Macca gives a great interview here with firstofthebike.com, he says "Armstrong, doesn't have a hope in hell of beating me", one thing that all should learn is never say never the Ironman Kona has proven itself to be a dream killer.

Could be an interesting if not a great watch in October. Stay tuned, I am sure there is going to be some words exchanged between now and then.

In this post we're going to look at an advanced way of turning called a corkscrew turn. It's a fast and tight way to cut round a buoy and a very useful skill to have in your locker. Even if you are not an advanced swimmer give this a try in training, it's a lot of fun and makes turns a lot easier when you need to cut a tight line at a turn buoy.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Mark your calendar for August 25th when the world’s best cyclists go to battle on Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, Colorado. The pros in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will climb this 3-mile ascent at breathtaking speeds.

So how do the pros do it? Why do they climb so fast? We decided to conduct a little experiment on Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, where the finish of Stage 6 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will be staged. We asked both a pro who specializes in climbing, as well as a better than average recreational cyclist, to do a training ride up Flagstaff. The riders we chose were Chris Butler, age 24, on the Champion System pro team (Chris raced the 2011 USAPCC for Team BMC), and TrainingPeaks’ CEO Gear Fisher, age 42. They both rode up Flagstaff and recorded the ride using SRM power meters so that we could analyze the data afterwards.

Flagstaff is a well-known local 3.2-mile climb that averages 6.5% grade and climbs 1140 ft in altitude. As we look at the two files we can see how Butler rode the climb at about 90% effort while Fisher rode it near his maximum. The difference in finishing times was more than 10 minutes between the two riders. Butler finished the climb in 15:08 while Fisher rode it in 26:14. MORE..

Friday, May 18, 2012

For athletes seeking to make improvements in their running form, Trismarter offers a run analysis service. The basis of our running form philosophy is that all movement while running is focused towards a common goal of forward propulsion. This simply means we take into account the entire body position and its movement at every stage within a single stride, analyze and correct the position and movement as needed to positively effect the runner’s efficiency, and thus effect the runner’s ability to travel faster and further. For purposes of this series of articles, I’m going to touch on common inefficiencies that we see regularly in triathletes and runners that can easily be fixed by simply being aware of them, making minor adjustments, and putting into practice the changes suggested to positively impact running. In Part 1, I address body position during the “drive” and “stance” phases of a single stride. More...

Friday, May 11, 2012

Jarrod Shoemaker is an Under 23 ITU World Champion, an ITU Duathlon World Champion, a 2008 Olympian and a Hamburg ITU World Championship Series winner and generally acknowledged as one of the fastest runners in the ITU draft legal game. But after getting a concussion from a kick in the face during the swim last year at Hamburg and a severely sprained neck in a bike crash in a race later last year, his seemingly assured second straight Olympic qualification was thrown into doubt.

Shoemaker spoke about his renewed health and improved outlook two days before his date with Olympic destiny Saturday.

So spending time with your family as a multisport athlete is hard, both on the family and you. When/do you decided to hang up your wetsuit,bike, and running shoes and focus on the kids. You might not, you might really love pushing yourself. If you are of the other and like to pass on knowledge want to still compete, how great would it be to have a group that is dedicated to Parents/kids. Just like the age group slots, you could break it up many different ways, parents age/ kids age or a combination of parents age and kids age.

Many races have slots for kids age but races in general are scary even for adults, imagine being 4 feet tall and stuffed in with hundred of adults, SCARY. You can't hear the race organizer, gun goes off a sea of people start to move forward, pushed, knocked around, SCARY.

Now take that same scenario and you are standing next to your child, with other parents and kids, really starts to send a great message. Not only for the race organizer but for the kids.

This idea is not full baked, but expect more to come as ThinkTri get's this up and running.
Cheers

Monday, April 30, 2012

As discussed in the previous article in this series, a proper warm-up provides an important avenue for warding off injury. It increases blood flow to the muscles, increases the speed of muscular contractions and nerve transmissions, and enhances flexibility. The warm-up should take place prior to intense activity, and it should be tailored to the specific needs of the activity and the athlete.

With this in mind, we began to discuss a warm-up designed specifically for running. To review, the full dynamic run warmup consists of (1) neuromuscular activation, (2) dynamic stretching, and (3) the cardiovascular component. We discussed Neuromuscular Activation in Part 1 of this series. Now we are now ready to move into the second part: Dynamic Stretching. More..

Friday, April 27, 2012

Except for the rare athlete who has never suffered an injury, most multisport athletes are all too familiar with the pain associated with injuries to skeletal muscles. In fact, over 30% of the injuries treated in sports medicine clinics are muscular injuries. Yet warding off such injuries can be as simple as including a proper warm-up into your training routine. Continue

Monday, April 2, 2012

Being lance is tough, it is great for the sport of Triathlons, just not so sure Lance is feeling the love. I can only imagine the struggle of being a world renowned cyclist and then trying to repeat the feats in one of the toughest competitions around. If you watch the video, most people respect the shoot, coming down and passing Lance in the shoot (was a tie on the results) was a little disconcerting, passing people before the shoot when you know you have a shot, but when you are slapping hands, showing the love to the people who come out to watch it, then get passed at the line, well to me is wrong. buck up and show it on the course.

Second, if you notice in the video, his kids are at the line and Lance just keeps walking, Ironman Triathlons are down right tough. Keep it up Lance, what you are doing for Triathlons is exceptional.

Jordan Jones you might want to rethink how you score a 6th place finish. Passing Lance while he is giving love to fans is no way to get ahead.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

This is a great article, well thought out and to the point. Lance in the sport of Triathlons can only help, yes if he gets caught doing something wrong then yes it will crush this ever growing sport, but for now it is GREAT.

Patrick McCrannPatrick is head coach and founder of Endurance Nation. A 14-time IM finisher (3x Kona) with a 10:01 PR, Patrick lives and trains in Boston, MA.

Beyond Celebrity Status

Triathlon has long had a history of celebrities participating, ranging from Robin Williams to Jennifer Lopez. And we have our own fair share of celebrities: from Julie Moss known round the world to Chrissie Wellington being regarded as one of the fittest women in the world.

To understand the Lance Effect we have to recognize that he's both a star and a star athlete. He brings the attention of millions wherever he goes. While his efforts have been predominantly directed to raising funds and awareness for the fight against Cancer, the ripple effect across other industries such as cycling has been palpable. Anyone thinking that Lance was going to play the star card for a Kona slot was proven seriously wrong when he took a very close second place against some of the best 70.3 athletes in the world in early February 2012. Lance is here, and he's clearly all in.

Here are three specific ways I believe the return of Lance Armstrong will impact triathlon.

#1 Increased Reach - The Media Play

The coverage of Panama 70.3 both on the official site and on Twitter immediately showed a significant spike in interest. I am not sure we have any stats, but I am 99.9% sure that was probably Ironman's biggest media day outside of the Ironman World Championships. At the start of the year. At a new event. In the wintertime.

But that's only a hint of Lance's real impact. Case in point, the World Triathlon Corporation recently revealed that they are in talks to have portions -- if not all -- of the 2012 Ironman World Championship event actually broadcast live. For the first time ever. No more month long production turnaround; real live action. This is a huge development; essentially moving triathlon from the one-time pop of the Olympics to the world stage.

What's the Win / Loss Ratio? * WIN -- The media outlets. There's huge appeal to seeing this event and it doesn't hurt that Lance, and many other insanely fit people will be front and center. This will trickle down to both online and hardcopy formats.* WIN -- The brands in the triathlon space, especially the long-time supporters who have insider access built over years and years of support and participation.* WIN -- And of course, World Triathlon Corporation, who gets to sell access to all both parties above.

#2 Broader Appeal - The Lance Effect

Putting Lance in a skin suit and sending him out to swim bike and run on race day will bring attention to our sport beyond what is normal. But that doesn't take into account the multiple daily updates from Lance on Twitter, transmitted to over 3.3 million followers. This goes beyond the race day effect; it essentially puts the triathlon lifestyle front and center for a brand new audience.

What's the Win / Loss Ratio? * WIN -- The sport of triathlon, for adding countless new participants at the shorter distances.* WIN -- The Livestrong Foundation, who in their 15th year really needed a shot in the arm with new direction.* LOSS -- Triathletes who were already complaining about crowded events or too many newbies mucking up the race course.* WIN -- Bike shops and other industry partners that will outfit all of these newbies.* LOSS -- PRO Triathletes used to the attention and spotlight who will simply have to take a back seat to Lance, whether he wins or not.

#3 Adapt & Absorb or Fade Away

A giant influx of new participants for triathlon represents a chance to reinvigorate and grow our sport. But it could also hasten its untimely demise. Nothing takes the momentum out of a movement like expensive and confusing equipment, poorly organized races, insular team experiences and confusing training plans. And triathlon has all of those things!

In many ways, the insider culture that has enabled triathlon to grow over the last decade could, in fact, be what ultimately holds it back. Don't get me wrong; I think triathletes are some of the coolest people in the world...but I am already on the inside. It remains to be seen whether or not we can all stand at the entrance and hold the door open for our newfound friends.

Over the last five years, triathlon has seen unparalleled growth and consolidation, with groups like WTC and Competitor Group purchasing and consolidating events using venture capital. This streamlining approach means that there is some consistency across events. But it also ensures that many events have lost the grassroots, backyard appeal that lead so many of us to get hooked on the sport in the first place. Those amazing races are still out there, of course, it's up to us to make sure that they aren't lost in the shuffle when the big boys start tossing advertising dollars around.

A testament to these "missing" old school events can be seen in the recent popularity of multisport challenge events that capture the athleticism of triathlon without the required equipment. Events such as the Tough Mudder (www.toughmudder.com), Muddy Buddy, Spartan Race (www.spartanrace.com) and the Warrior Dash (warriordash.com) capture this fringe element. And there are event more dynamic events such as the Zombie Run (www.runforyourlives.com/) that build in fun, fitness and interaction. In other words, triathlon's competition is here and it's gaining momentum.

What's the Win / Loss Ratio? * WIN -- Short course races, especially the ones recently acquired by WTC and/or Competitor.* LOSS -- Old school, underground races that might be over looked (don't let that happen!)* WIN -- Fringe sports that will pick up those who "try the tri" but don't end up sticking to the sport, following the fun instead.* LOSS -- A shrinking pool of races could increase registration prices and demand, making triathlon even more elitist and expensive.

There's No Such Thing As Bad PR?

There's no doubt that the next eight months will bring new challenges and opportunity for the sport of triathlon. Between the 2012 London Olympics and the renewed interest thanks to Lance Armstrong, our sport will see unprecedented coverage and growth. Regardless of what side of the issue you fall on, we can all agree that 2013 will see a very different multisport landscape.

Friday, February 24, 2012

So you have Nike, who at one time produced good natural running shoes, remember Prefontaine. Over the course of 30 years Nike made shoes that produced the opposite effect, just to get more people "buying" their shoes. Now with all the natural running and forefoot running with their Billions of dollars can come out with a marketing campaign.

This is a joke and quite frankly a slap in the face to companies like, Newton and ZOOTS, that are working on a much, much less marking budget, relying on grass roots. Hey if you can sway the public to buying your shoes good or bad then I guess this accomplishes something.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Beach start: Starting from the beach and running into the water to begin a triathlon.

Buoy: The floating markers used on a triathlon course to indicated course layout, distance and turns.

Deck: The hard surface around the pool.

Draft: To swim directly behind or beside the swimmer in front of you, which makes it easier to swim.

Floating start: Starting from the water without the feet touching to begin a triathlon.

Freestyle: The common front stroke style swimming usually used in triathlon.

Kickboard: A floating piece of styrofoam used to for kicking drills.

Lane : A sectioned area of the pool for lap swimming. Typically, a pool is divided into 3 or more lanes.

Lane Lines : The floating markers which that separate the lanes.

Lap: From one end of the pool to the other and back.

Length: From one end of the pool to the other. A “half” lap.

Flags : Small triangular pennants hung over the pool to indicate that the end of the lane is near.

Master’s: A swim class, group or club for adult swimmers.

Open Water: Outdoors swimming in a lake, river or ocean.

Pull Buoy : A floating piece of Styrofoam that goes between the legs so that a swimmer doesn’t need to kick.

Transition: Transitioning from the water to the bike portion of a triathlon.

Wall : Vertical part of the pool that is typically touched between lengths.

Wetsuit legal: A triathlon in which the water is cold enough to allow a wetsuit.

Aerobars - Because it is more comfortable and more aerodynamic for triathlon racing, most triathlon bikes are equipped with these type of bars, which attach to the handlebars or stem of a bicycle and allow you to ride in the aero position. These can also be placed on a road bike.

Aero Bottle - Many triathletes attach a water bottle to the aerobars rather than to the down tube or seat tube, which makes drinking in the aero position an easier task.

Aero Position - Also known as the time trial position, the aero position involves riding in a "hunched over" position with the elbows resting on the aerobar pads. This saves your running muscles and helps keep you aerodynamic, especially on the relatively flat bike courses that most triathlons have.

Bonk - Because you cover long distances while cycling, it's easy to get stuck during a ride or race without food or fuel. When this happens, your blood sugar can drop so low that your brain goes into a fog and your muscles quit firing. This is called a bonk. The fix? Eat fast and eat lots.

Brick - A "Bike-Run" workout, in which you run immediately after finishing the bike leg of a triathlon or a bike workout.

Cadence - The speed of pedaling while bicycling, also known as RPM, or Revolutions per Minute.

Disc - A solid wheel that is very aerodynamic and often used as a rear wheel in triathlons.

Down Tube - The tube of the bike that runs from the handlebars and diagonally slopes down towards your back wheel.

Drafting - Riding close enough behind the cyclist(s) in front of you that you pedaling becomes less difficult due to that rider stopping some of the wind resistance. This is illegal in most triathlons, and you must typical maintain 3-4 bike lengths behind the person in front of you.

Dropped - When you're riding with a group of cyclists who are drafting, and you eventually get too far behind to be in the draft, you'll find that the gap increases between you and the group, pedaling becomes harder, and you can't catch up. You've been dropped.

Hammer - To pedal very hard, typically for an extended period of time (i.e. "That ride was a Hammer-fest!").

Seat Post - The tube on the bike that attaches to your saddle, and is typically adjustable up and down. On some triathlon bikes, it can be cut.

Spin - To ride easy, in recovery mode, or pedal with very low resistance. The opposite of hammer.

Time Trial - Typically a 20-180K ride at the maximum sustainable pace, usually performed in the aero position. The bike leg of most triathlons is defined as a time trial.

Top Tube - The tube that extends from the handlebars, between your legs, and horizontally back towards the back wheel.

Triathlete.com: Walking away from Ironman for this year must have been a big decision. How did you come to this decision?

Wellington: Making the decision to have a sabbatical was reminiscent of the time in 2006 when I was deliberating whether or not to leave my job working for the government to embark on an unknown path as a professional triathlete. Although having such choices is a blessing, making these decisions is never easy. But now, as then, I simply try to follow my gut instinct and do what I feel is right deep in my heart. But yes, you’re right…it was a HUGE decision, and one that I deliberated long and hard over.

I feel so incredibly fortunate and grateful to have found a sport that I love; to have had the chance to actually make that passion my career; to have continually defied what I thought was possible; to have made so many great friends; to have travelled the world, and of course to have developed a platform on which I can now build.

But I believe that racing cannot always be the axis around which my life revolves. It should not be an end in itself—never the be all and end all of my life. Never define me. It is just one branch on a tree that I hope is as big, rich and varied as I can possibly make it. I want to inject some variety back into my life, some balance and some spontaneity. I want to be freer to explore and seize other opportunities. I would like to spend more time in the UK, and with my family and my friends; to work more closely with my chosen charities, to attend different races around the world, to work with my sponsors, and to try and inspire as many people as possible. Yes, I could do this whilst training and racing full time, but not to the extent and with the energy and passion that I feel is necessary.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

1. Lift your head only as high as necessary. In calm bodies of water, like a lake or river, lift just your eyes out of the water.

2. In wavy ocean conditions, time it so you’re sighting on the top of a wave for the best view of the course. Feel your body rise and fall on the swells and sight accordingly.

3. When conditions are choppy and unpredictable, lift your head extra high but try to minimize the total number of times you sight. Use landmarks and other swimmers when breathing to the side.

4. Do not breathe while looking forward. Separate the two actions by sighting forward and then immediately rolling your head to take a breath to the side.

5. As you prepare to sight, press down with your hand and arm during the catch phase of your stroke. This will slightly lift your upper body and make it easier to raise your head.

6. Arch your back while lifting your head. This will allow your legs and feet to stay near the surface, minimizing drag under the water.

7. Kick extra hard for a moment while you are sighting. This will help maintain forward speed and also keep your feet from dropping.

8. Sight 2–3 times in a row (during every other stroke). Use the first sight to locate the buoy, the second sight to adjust your angle and the third to verify your direction. Swim straight for 20–30 seconds before repeating this system.

9. Practice, practice, practice! Make a point to practice sighting drills in every second or third workout.

Sighting drills for the pool

Tarzan: Swim the entire length of the pool with your head out of the water. Use this drill to practice arching your back, kicking extra hard and maintaining a good body position.Where’s Waldo?: Use good sighting technique to locate your coach on the pool deck while swimming a single lap.

3 Right/3 Left/6 Regular: Sight three times while taking a stroke with the right arm and then three times with the left. Take six regular strokes and then repeat.

Swim Blind: Find an empty lane at the pool and swim straight down the middle with your eyes closed. Based on which lane line you bump most often, you know which direction to compensate for in open water.